Under Mick Mulvaney, the CFPB, which once was the agency dedicated to preventing banks and credit-card companies from scamming ordinary Americans, now becomes an agency dedicated to protecting potential financial scammers from legal penalties. Questions: 1. Since Mulvaney took over, what has the Bureau done for payday lenders? 2. Since Mulvaney took over, what has… Read more »

Panera petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to update its 40-year-old definition of the word “egg” to exclude most of the processed egg products that have become popular with fast-food chains and food-service. Questions: 1. How long has the egg product rule been on the books of the FDA? 2. Do you agree with Panera?… Read more »

Amazon has patented designs for a wristband to be worn by warehouse employees that can precisely track where they are placing their hands and even use vibrations to nudge them in different directions. Questions: 1. What type of tracking is used? 2. What type of security implications do these bracelets have? 3. What was the… Read more »

As the third-largest bank continues to suffer under a sales scandal that happened in 2016, Wells Fargo & Co detailed new regulatory restrictions imposed by the U.S. Federal Reserve. This news sent its shares down sharply in after-hours trading. Questions: 1. What are the growth restrictions on the bank imposed by the Feds? 2. Why… Read more »

According to the New York Times, a partial stop with this shutdown costs the economy productive work time; historical evidence suggests, along with revenue that the federal government collects from daily fees at parks and museums that private-sector companies that contract with the government have their work temporarily disrupted, and travel spending is reduced, affecting… Read more »

Under a major proposal prepared for Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, driving a car into the most congested parts of Manhattan under the new pay-to-drive plan would cost about $11.52. Questions: 1. What are the two goals of the plan? 2. What will trucks and taxis pay? 3. Who originally promoted the plan? 4. How much… Read more »

According to the Guardian, more firms are looking into a rested workforce because sleep has an image problem in the business world. Questions 1. What is the definition of sufficient sleep and how do the U.S., U.K, and Japan stack up to this definition> 2. What are some of the reasons for the global sleep-loss… Read more »

Defense Department Comptroller David Norquist announced that the Department of Defense (DoD) would undergo its first-ever, financial audit beginning this month. Questions: 1. How many auditors will be tasked with spreading out across the department to examine the records? 2. How much in assets is it estimated that the Pentagon has? 3. According to Norquist,… Read more »

Investors sent shares in Dollar General higher Thursday after the company announced better-than-expected sales growth and plans to open 900 stores in 2018. Questions: 1. What was the overall strategy of Dollar General in the competitive retail business? 2. What is the future that Dollar General hopes for in opening these new stores? 3. What… Read more »

According to Huffington Post, even though Hurricane Maria destroyed much of the island’s infrastructure in September, forcing TJ Maxx to shutter some stores there, the company has nevertheless been dutifully paying its employees ever since. Questions: 1. How much of the power had been restored to Puerto Rico when this article was written? 2. How… Read more »